Jakob Silfverberg

A solid middle-six contributor for the Ducks for the better part of the past decade, Silfverberg has really seen his play drop off the past two seasons. Hampered by a leg issue which cost him the better part of the final two months of the year, Silfverberg played just 53 games a season ago, managing a measly five goals and 21 points. With the additions of Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano in free agency and expected increased roles for youngsters Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish, Silfverberg would appear to be a prime candidate for a reduced role this coming year, even if he is able to suit up on a nightly basis.

Silfverberg endured his worst NHL campaign to date last year, notching 16 points, a minus-17 rating and an 8.8 shooting percentage in a career-low 47 games played. He ended the year recovering from hip surgery he underwent in April -- no recovery timeline was provided at the time of his procedure, so it's unclear if he'll be good to go at the start of training camp. To make matters worse for the Swede, the Ducks' youth movement is likely to continue in 2021-22, which could see him bumped down the lineup in favor of younger options in a rebuilding year. Silfverberg reached 40 points three times and hit 39 points in three other seasons in a six-year stretch, so he has a track record as a solid second-line option, but the winger will likely have to prove himself a bit to retain that role once he's able to get back on the ice.

Silfverberg remained the picture of consistency last year, registering 21 goals and 39 points in 66 contests. He's generated at least 39 points in each of his last six seasons, and just seven of them came on the power play in 2019-20. He also chipped in a pair of shorthanded goals, continuing to show a strong ability to play in all situations. Silfverberg is set to reprise his role on the Ducks' top linein 2020-21, and there's little reason to doubt the 30-year-old's ability to chip in at a 40-point pace. He may not shoot as much as before, but he's become more efficient in the last two years, scoring at a 14.2 percent rate over that span.

Silfverberg posted a new career high in goals in 2018-19, scoring 24 times while adding 19 assists in 73 games. The 28-year-old actually had his lowest shot total since 2013-14 last year, firing 163 pucks on net while converting at a career-high rate of 14.7 percent. Impressively, he finished the campaign with 24 points in the final 31 games. Another season of 40-to-45 points is a reasonable expectation for Silfverberg in 2019-20, and his role as a penalty killer should lead to the occasional shorthanded point as well. His ability to stay on the Ducks' top line will likely depend on how Anaheim's younger forwards adjust to the NHL, but Silfverberg should be a steady performer regardless of where he slots in.

After enjoying career highs in goals (23) and points (49) during the 2016-17 campaign, Silfverberg regressed to 17 and 40, respectively, in 2017-18. His real-life defensive prowess inhibits his offensive game -- the 27-year-old winger started 60.3 percent of his shifts in the Ducks' zone last campaign. Anaheim has 22-year-old Ondrej Kase hungry for top-six minutes too, which would shuffle Silfverberg between the second and third lines and potentially lead to an inconsistent stream of points that could be a headache for fantasy owners.

Silfverberg is coming off a career-best 23 goals and 49 points and followed it up with nine goals and 14 points through 17 postseason games. In particular, the playoff numbers are impressive because he's now posted 27 points (13 goals) over 40 games the past three postseasons. Unfortunately, Silfverberg’s offensive upside is slightly capped because of his excellent defensive play and utilization in a shutdown role. However, that also ensures he's receiving plenty of ice time, and he logged a career-high 18:29 on average last year. Still in his prime, another small step forward offensively could be ahead for Silfverberg.

Similar to linemate Ryan Kesler, Silfverberg has been remarkably consistent over the last two seasons in Anaheim. The 25-year-old Swede recorded exactly 39 points, two power-play goals and two game-winners in each, while his 20 tallies, team-high 215 shots on goal, 32 PIM and 16:58 of average ice time in 2015-16 were all new career highs. Now that Silfverberg has officially cracked the 20-goal plateau at the NHL level, perhaps new head coach Randy Carlyle will decide to use the winger more on the Ducks’ power play, as he only spent an average of 0:54 on the man advantage last season despite there only being two other players with more goals than him (Corey Perry with 34 and Ryan Kesler with 21). Either way, it’s encouraging that he threw so much rubber on net and has managed to stay on the positive side of the plus-minus ledger in each of his five NHL seasons for a career mark of plus-34, so look for the fifth-year NHLer to take another step forward on an Anaheim squad that features a healthy mix of offensively gifted veterans and a maturing core of exciting young players like Rickard Rakell, Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler.

Silfverberg put together a decent second season in Anaheim with 39 points in 81 regular-season games, but he took it to a whole new level in the playoffs, where he compiled 18 points in just 16 games. The 24-year-old should slot in on the team’s second line with Ryan Kesler feeding him, which puts him in a great position to translate last year’s postseason success into a productive 82-game campaign this time around. Even if he doesn’t pick up his scoring to the level owners are hoping for, Silfverberg will at least log a high plus/minus rating playing on a stacked Ducks team if his plus-15 from last season is any indication. The Swede has shown glimpses of the talent necessary to be a fantasy star, but he’ll need to reach a new level of consistency in his fourth NHL season to become one.

Silfverberg’s second NHL season was a struggle. He was on an early-season roll when he was felled with a broken hand and then he struggled to get back up to speed on his return. He did manage 23 points in 52 regular season games and should be able to come close to 40 (or more) on a line with Ryan Kesler. Remember -- he’s just two years removed from being the MVP of the Swedish Elite League. He’ll hit 60 points in 2015-16 and have his eye on 70 in another couple years.

Silfverberg picked up 10 goals and nine games in 48 games last year with the Sens and was the key cog coming back to the Ducks in the Bobby Ryan trade. He'll slot in on the second line where his good speed and rocket shot will help draw some checking attention away from the top line of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. And that means more time and space for someone, doesn't it? This nifty Swede brings a great two-way game to Anaheim -- then again, what Swede actually sucks in his own zone? Still, Silfverberg is going to be an exceptional, two-way, 60 to 65 point second-line winger for a long time in this league and he will take a big step toward that this year. Fifty points is certainly within reach.

Out of all of the potential rookies that have a shot at making the Sens this year, Swedish forward Jakob Silfverberg arguably has the inside track at breaking camp on the roster. In fact, he could have made the team last year, but decided to return to the Swedish Elite League for another year before beginning his North American career. In the SEL, he led his team to the title and was named the MVP of both the regular season and the playoffs, potting 13 goals and seven assists in 17 playoff games. He possesses good speed and an even better shot, with the ability to get the puck off his stick very quickly. Slifverberg is also responsible defensively and can be used on the penalty kill when needed. Should Silfverberg make the team out of camp, look for him to be used on either the first or second line and he will certainly see power-play time; fifteen goals and 20 assists are not out of the question. Silfverberg could be very valuable in keeper leagues for owners who pick him up in later rounds.

Silfverberg will spend the 2011-12 season playing for Brynas of the SEL, but is already NHL-ready in the eyes of Ottawa's management. GM Bryan Murray would love to have the 6'1", 190 pound Swede playing in Ottawa this season, but will not rush the talented winger as Silfverberg has stated on numerous occasions his desire to play one more year in Sweden before crossing the pond to North America. While he already plays a sound defensive game for a young man, he possesses an NHL-caliber shot and is a very strong skater who can punish defensemen along the boards opening up space for both himself and his linemates. Silfverberg is one of the more under-the-radar prospects not currently in the NHL, but that will likely change entering the 2012-13 season.

Silfverberg will spend the 2010-11 season playing in the Swedish Elite League for Brynas. He should make the jump to North America in 2011-12, likely starting in the AHL for Binghamton. Silfverberg is a heady, two-way player with some nice offensive upside and figures to top out as a 3rd or 2nd line player who'll also kill penalties.

Ottawa's 2nd second round pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Silfverberg has some nice offensive potential and is described as a hard-working, two-way forward with skill. He'll spend the year playing for Brynas of the Swedish Elite League. Silfverberg is likely two to three years away from making an impact at the NHL level.